Packers Risk Brett Favre Drama Repeating Itself if They Draft Aaron Rodgers' Replacement Too Soon

Green Bay Packers fans remember the drama that began in 2005 after the team drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round, and wouldn't end for several more seasons.

Brett Favre had no intentions of giving up his starting spot after Rodgers' arrival, and the relationship was strained from the start, leading one of the best QBs in NFL history to ride the pine a few years too long before Favre's unfortunate exile. Rodgers sat on the sidelines for three seasons and Favre ended up retiring, only to immediately return and play for the New York Jets.

The team is potentially setting itself up for another dramatic situation by drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, entering another delicate balance.

General manager Brian Gutekunst has mentioned the team could take a quarterback in the first round this year, but with Rodgers under contract through 2023, making such a move would set up an exact copy of the Favre-Rodgers drama.

A proper alternative would be signing a backup already in the league who is not the heir apparent to Rodgers, and waiting at least another season before using an early pick to pull the trigger on a QB with high expectations.

A first-round quarterback is drafted to play. The Packers would not draft a player and want him to sit on the bench for a minimum of four seasons. Making a move that would essentially put Rodgers' time in Green Bay on the clock would sour the relationship between both sides, and could lead to an ugly breakup.

The team has seen this identical situation happen in the past, and would be wise to wait a few years to draft a new franchise quarterback. Not doing so could lead to an unnecessary Favre-like situation where a franchise legend doesn't receive a proper end to his career.